ECOS Magazine - Towards A Sustainable Future

The Burke and Wills expedition – a valuable scientific legacy revealed

Researchers looking into the remaining dispersed – and largely overlooked – records of Burke and Wills' expedition have discovered fascinating and meticulously collected scientific data. The records provide a valuable baseline perspective on Australia's environment 150 years ago, and shed new light on the remarkable achievements of the explorers under extreme conditions.

Douglas McCann 05-Dec-2011

(Solar) power to the people of Timor Leste Feature It is approaching dusk as the vehicles complete their five-hour trek from Dili and come to a stop outside the community centre in Baguia, Timor Leste. We are greeted by the local school teachers and shown to the guest house that will be our home for the next five days. Michael O'Connell 06-Feb-2012

Using logic to stretch the conservation dollar further
Feature

If you were to ask a room full of managers, policymakers, or even scientists, if they should be monitoring the outcomes of their conservation actions, the answer from most would be a resounding ‘yes'. They would argue that if we don't understand the benefits of our investment, how can we possibly know if we are doing the right thing and if our investment is worth it?

Eve McDonald-Madden 06-Feb-2012

Native forest management and greenhouse gas emissions – how much do we really know? Feature Harvesting of native forests needs to be included in the carbon accounting process in Australia. But, do we know enough about the greenhouse gas and carbon cycling implications of this kind of forestry? Kathryn Page, Ram Dalal and John Raison 30-Jan-2012

Payback time for carbon-neutral housing? Feature Cost can often be a turn-off factor when it comes to sustainable building. But, a study of the proposed Cape Paterson Ecovillage in South Gippsland, Victoria, suggests the tables are turning – building green can take years off the average mortgage and save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alexandra de Blas 30-Jan-2012

Australian bird status survey a call to action
Feature

So often in conservation debates regarding birds, common terms such as ‘endangered species' are bandied about without any great knowledge of what they actually mean. With the publication of the third Action Plan for Australian Birds we now have an up-to-date snapshot of the conservation status of every species and subspecies of Australian bird.

Sean Dooley 23-Jan-2012

Outsmarting cane toads: lessons from a small marsupial Feature It seems that small dasyurids in northern Australia instinctively know how to avoid being poisoned by cane toads. Their example is behind an unusual experiment to ‘train' endangered northern quolls to become ‘toad-smart'. Jonathan Webb 16-Jan-2012

Managing the future of the north’s aquatic biodiversity
Feature

Northern Australia features prominently in visions for Australia's future. Plans for capturing, storing and transporting the region's water to make it available for increased agricultural development in the region and elsewhere are frequently proposed. But what is our current understanding of the biodiversity, and the ecological functions and services and of the northern region, and how might these assets be affected by such development?

Bradley J. Pusey 11-Jan-2012

100% Renewable campaign powered by grassroots Feature Australia's 2011 Young Environmentalist of the Year is achieving national impact by uniting community climate campaigners with her inclusive, solutions-based approach. Andrew Bray 11-Jan-2012

Northern Australia's disappearing native mammals Feature The Northern Australian landscape is a spectacular, vast and wild place. It is a land of crocodiles, dingoes and endless bush. It forms a refuge for many wildlife species that have disappeared or declined in other parts of the continent, such as bush stone-curlews and nailtail wallabies. John Woinarski 11-Jan-2012